


me and you, what a feeling

by NoShipsLikePartnerships



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Fluff, M/M, Netflix and Chill, Post-Movie: Pacific Rim (2013), Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 12:58:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19334986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoShipsLikePartnerships/pseuds/NoShipsLikePartnerships
Summary: Today, it’s grey and rainy outside and is definitely going to be a lazy day. Sure, they should probably try and get stuff done around the house, but this kind of weather tends to affect Newt’s mood and Hermann’s leg, so neither of them are feeling up to it.It is, however, a perfect day for staying in, cuddling on the couch, and watching corny movies on TV.





	me and you, what a feeling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sarah1281](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarah1281/gifts).



> Prompt fill for Sarah1281, who asked: Do you think you could do anything with “This movie isn’t even that sad. Why are you crying?” from this [list](https://thewintersoufflegirl.tumblr.com/post/184816171764/spring-prompts) of spring prompts.
> 
> This was my first time doing a prompt fill, and I really had fun writing it! Seeing as spring is a time for new beginnings, I decided to incorporate that into it as well.

“Okay, I got this.” 

Newt drags the coffee table forward, trying not to jostle the cartons of food sitting on top of it, then plops down on the couch next to Hermann. Everything’s within easy reach, so they won’t have to get up too much, and he double-checks to make sure that they’ve got what they need.

They’ve only recently moved in to their apartment, and haven’t gotten around to unpacking everything yet, so they’re basically living out of boxes at this point. They also don’t have much in the way of furniture, other than the essentials. The kitchen is sparse with no cabinets, so while they might know which box their dishes and cutlery are in, there isn’t anywhere to actually put them. In the meantime, they’ve been getting by using disposable plates (biodegradable only!) and making easy or microwavable dinners. It kind of reminds Newt of his days at MIT (both his dorm as a student, and the crappy apartment he’d lived in while teaching), he was a _champ_ at making mac and cheese. 

When they’re really feeling lazy though, they rely on takeout. Today, it’s grey and rainy outside and is definitely going to be a lazy day. Sure, they should _probably_ try and get stuff done around the house, but this kind of weather tends to affect Newt’s mood and Hermann’s leg, so neither of them are feeling up to it.

It is, however, a perfect day for staying in, cuddling on the couch, and watching corny movies on TV. Well, okay, on Newt’s laptop—they haven’t got the TV set up yet, either, so Netflix and takeout it is.

Today, it’s Chinese. Newt had thought they'd both be tired of it after so many years in Hong Kong (there’d been days when he could have killed someone for a good old-fashioned pizza from Beacon Street), but he’d developed a taste for it and they’re both feeling a bit nostalgic, as it turns out.

“Here,” Newt says, and hands Hermann the laptop. “You pick something, I’ll be right back.” He hops off the couch and goes to get a bottle of wine from the fridge. It’s a Red Riesling (Newt chose it because it’s like having a little piece of their shared roots) that they’d bought right when they moved in and have been saving for a special occasion. This feels like a good a time for it.

He puts the bottle on the counter, and glances around the kitchen with a small frown, then starts opening up drawers. When he doesn’t find what he needs, he opens up the nearest box and starts digging through it.

“What are you looking for?” Hermann calls from the couch.

“Corkscrew,” Newt answers, grinning as he looks up. “Not a euphemism.”

Hermann rolls his eyes. “Try that one,” he says, pointing to a box beside the counter.  It’s labeled ‘Kitchen 3’ which sounds promising (‘Kitchen 1’ was a bust, and who knows where ‘Kitchen 2’ has gotten to). Newt rips the tape off, and rummages around inside for a few seconds before finally finding the damn thing.

“Jackpot!” He grabs the bottle and is about to open it when Hermann makes a face at him.

“Don’t do it there, you’ll make a mess. Open it over the sink.”

“Okay, first of all? That only happened the one time.” It had been New Year’s and he’d been excited. Also pretty drunk. Things _happen_ , okay? “And second, in my defense, how was I supposed to know that it’s a bad idea to open champagne bottles with these?” Newt asks, waving the corkscrew at him.

“It’s common knowledge, Newton. E _veryone_ knows that.”

“Some people don’t,” he grumbles, but goes to the sink anyway. Just to be safe. Not that anything’s going to go wrong. Probably. He chews his lower lip in concentration as he opens the bottle carefully, _and_ successfully, so _there_.

They end up drinking the wine out of mugs, as unpacking _those_ had been a must—Hermann needs his tea, Newt learned the hard way that he gets really grumpy without it. The lack of storage space, however, means that the mugs currently live in the sink until needed, when they’re washed, then used, then placed right back in there until the next time. Rinse and repeat, literally. 

Once they’re all set up—laptop in the middle of the coffee table, food and wine on either side of it—they sit back on the couch, and start the movie.

The plot’s pretty predictable—if you’ve seen one romcom, you’ve seen them all, but they’re usually still entertaining, even when they’re kind of bad. Besides, Hermann’s got a soft spot for them, though he’d never admit it. Even though they contain roughly the same plot, he’ll still watch with rapt attention every time. Which is cute, sure, but not without its drawbacks. He had _completely_ missed the point of ‘Netflix and chill’ (“That would be rather distracting, wouldn’t it?” was his perplexed response when Newt had explained it) and so the ‘chill’ portion won’t happen until after the movie’s over. That is, if one, or both, of them don’t end up falling asleep first, which happens about half the time. It’s a toss-up as to which way it’s going to go, but Newt’s made his peace with this.

About thirty minutes or so into the movie, Newt discovers that it’s less ‘fun’ bad, and more just straight-up bad. Hermann, of course, seems really into it anyway, so Newt doesn’t bother asking if he wants to watch something else instead, and refrains from making fun of it too much (or tries to, anyway, some of this dialogue is just asking for it).

Glancing out the window, he sees that it’s still overcast, and getting darker, even though it’s only mid-afternoon. He’s too comfortable to get up and turn on the lights, but figures it’s more appropriate for movie-watching anyway. Even if the movie in question is of questionable quality.

Someone’s currently giving a cheesy speech about soulmates or something, Newt kind of tuned out a while ago. The sound of the rain outside is loud enough to be heard over the movie, and soothing enough that he’s in danger of being lulled to sleep. The wine maybe isn’t helping with that, though it _is_ helping to make the movie a bit more enjoyable.

Newt turns to Hermann, about to ask if he wants a refill, and is surprised to see silent tears running down his cheeks. “Hey,” he says softly, and places a hand on Hermann’s arm. “This movie isn’t even that sad. Why are you crying?”

Even with just the light from the laptop’s screen, he can see Hermann’s cheeks turning bright pink. “It isn’t the movie. Well,” the blush deepens, “it’s partly the movie. It’s… it’s just so _moving,_ isn’t it?”

“Aw, you’re just a big old softie, aren’t you?”

Hermann sniffs and wipes at his eyes. “Don’t laugh.”

“I’m not!” Newt insists. “I think it’s sweet. You said ‘partly’ though. What’s the other part?”

“I just never thought that I’d have…” Hermann waves a hand in the direction of the coffee table, “this.”

“What, sweet and sour pork with red wine? Cause it actually goes together pretty well, go figure.”

Hermann huffs out a laugh. “No, you ridiculous man,” he says fondly, and reaches over to squeeze Newt’s hand. “ _This_. All of it. Any of it, actually.”

“We’re eating takeout in the dark, watching a bad movie,” Newt points out. He’s no expert, but he doesn’t think there’s anything particularly romantic about it.

“I know,” Hermann says. He smiles, and it’s like the sun breaking through the clouds. “It’s perfect.”

And, damn it if Newt’s heart doesn’t just melt at that.

He squeezes back, then pulls Hermann closer to him, wiping the remaining tears away and lightly kissing his cheeks (still a bit salty), before kissing him properly.

It’s no secret that they’ve both had trouble connecting with other people, and even with each other (especially with each other). Honestly, thank _fuck_ for the Drift, he’s not sure they ever would’ve gotten their shit together otherwise. Sure, they’d still had a lot of work to do themselves afterward, but it had definitely helped get them back on track.

That being said… Newt never really thought that he’d have this, either. It had seemed almost too good to be true—he’d thought for sure it would eventually end, that Hermann would just get tired of him, or annoyed, and leave. People usually do, at least when it comes to his relationships. But it hasn’t happened yet, and he’s begun to accept that maybe it won’t this time?

Hermann’s never given Newt any reason to doubt him, and they _did_ just get a place together. That’s definitely up there, commitment-wise.

The apartment might be small, and a bit cramped right now, but it’s theirs. A new place, a new relationship. A new beginning.

He pulls back, a little breathless, and rests his forehead against Hermann’s. “I love you, you know.”

“What I coincidence,” Hermann replies, lips quirking upward, “I love you as well.”

Newt begins to move away, expecting Hermann to turn this attention back to the laptop, but instead, Hermann pulls him forward, and lies back against the couch, very much to Newt’s surprise (not that he’s complaining, he is _definitely_ not complaining).

“What about the movie?”

“Well, I think we can make an exception, just this once. Besides,” Hermann says, “I’m fairly certain it will have a happy ending.”

“Yeah,” Newt agrees, smiling down at him, “I think you’re right.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song "Brighter Than Sunshine" by Aqualung which, coincidentally, was featured in a romcom called A Lot Like Love. I haven't seen it, but it's got a rating of 41% on Rotten Tomatoes which seems appropriate lol, maybe it's the movie Newt and Hermann watched ;)
> 
> As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated :) You can also find me on tumblr @chalkstardust (formerly @thewintersoufflegirl)


End file.
